


Flower Wolf

by dragon_temeraire



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Fluff, Full Shift Werewolves, Gardens & Gardening, M/M, Mates, Sterek Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 13:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9072964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragon_temeraire/pseuds/dragon_temeraire
Summary: Derek is just trying to finish his mating gift in peace, but Stiles has other plans.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Polski available: [Kwiatowy wilk](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12888201) by [Lampira7](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lampira7/pseuds/Lampira7)



> Written for the Sterek Secret Santa for bellybaire, who wanted wolf!Derek, mates, and fluff.

Derek digs his paws into the dirt, does it over and over until he has a nice, deep hole. Then he tilts his head and gently bites the stem of the gerbera daisy he’s planting, carefully setting it down it its new spot. He pushes the earth back over its roots, making sure not to compact it too much.

Then he moves over, and starts digging the next hole.

Sure, it’d probably be faster to do today’s new planting in human form, but sometimes he likes doing it this way, too. It’s nice, experiencing the garden as a wolf, fully enjoying all the sights and smells.

When he’s finished his row of flowers, he curls up in the shade of the little orange tree in the center. He completely relaxes, stretching out and letting the garden soothe him as the breeze gently ruffles his fur.

As he drifts off, he lets himself idly imagine all the different things he could plant. He has a lot of space that isn’t being used yet, and he wants the garden to be done this year.

He wants it to be ready.

 

*

 

Stiles comes strolling up one Saturday afternoon, while Derek is pulling weeds. “Hey man, how’s it going?” he asks, leaning against the low picket fence.

“Fine,” Derek says shortly, hand clenching around the dandelion he just pulled up, crushing it in his palm.

This is only the third time Stiles has come by, but every time he shows up, it puts Derek on edge. Stiles is in a lot of his classes this year, so Derek knows firsthand how clumsy and accidentally destructive he can be.

He’s certainly not the type of person who should be around delicate, beautiful plants. Still, it’s not in Derek’s heart to be blatantly rude. Even if he is afraid that Stiles will crush his coleus.

“Did you need something?” he asks, looking up at Stiles.

“Nah. It’s a nice day, so I thought I’d come by and see how the miniature botanical garden is coming along,” he says, shrugging. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Derek grunts, tipping his head toward the small gate, which is standing open.

Stiles gives him a cheery smile and ambles in, looking around with an interest that doesn’t seem feigned. “What’s it for? Is there some kind of competition? Or do you just have a major gardening hobby?” he asks curiously, leaning down to look at a cluster of impatiens.

 _It’s for my mate_ , Derek thinks but doesn’t say. It’s traditional for all werewolves create a gift, which is to be offered their potential mate. His sister Laura did a series of paintings for her intended, and Cora is recording her performance of songs she wrote herself.

It’s private and personal, meant to represent something about the wolf making it, and so the nature of the gift isn’t publicly discussed.

It is, after all, supposed to be a _surprise_.

“I like plants,” Derek says instead, and it’s not a lie. He likes the slow, steady way plants grow, the way their flowers start as plain buds, but, given enough time, will open up into something beautiful.

“Would have never guessed,” Stiles teases, but there’s no malice in it.

Derek watches as Stiles takes a slow lap around the garden, then loops the circle path around the orange tree. “I can’t believe, with as much time as you spend out here, that you don’t have a bench or something,” he says idly.

Well, that is a fair point.

Though Derek spends a lot of time here in wolf form, he shows up as a human pretty often, too. It might be nice to have somewhere to sit that isn’t the ground. He’s still considering where to get one when Stiles leaves, giving him a wave goodbye.

Derek distractedly waves back, busy thinking about just what sort of bench he’d like to have.

 

*

 

“Wow, this is nice!” Stiles says, flopping down on Derek’s new bench and letting out a sigh of contentment.

Derek glances over and sees him sprawled out there, looking like he could stay all afternoon, and wonders if he’s going to regret that bench after all.

But Stiles really isn’t that bad to be around, and he’s not as destructive as Derek thought he’d be. Sure, he has to touch everything, but he doesn’t pull leaves off of the plants, and he’s careful not to step on Derek’s seedlings, so.

It’s okay if he stays.

Stiles chatters idly as Derek prunes the rose bushes, and even helps afterward with the watering.

“Hey,” he says as he’s on his way out. “You know what would look good? An archway over this gate. It would be totally awesome.”

He’s gone before Derek can say anything back.

He eyes the gate speculatively, then shakes his head.

His garden does _not_ need an arbor.

 

*

 

But he can’t help thinking about it, every single time he walks through the gate.

Eventually, he caves.

He builds the lattice arch himself, then takes some honeysuckle vines from his family’s own garden to weave through it. As much as he doesn’t want to admit it, it ends up looking really nice. And when the honeysuckle blossoms, it’ll smell amazing, too.

He’s still admiring his handiwork when Stiles walks up. “Wow, that looks awesome,” he says, staring in wonder. “I love it.”

“Thanks,” Derek says, ducking his head in embarrassment. He’s bad at taking compliments.

“Dude, is that honeysuckle?” Stiles asks, moving closer and peering at the vine.

“Yeah,” Derek answers, surprised that he recognized it.

“Ooh, I can’t wait until it blooms,” Stiles says excitedly. “It has the best smell.”

“I think so, too,” Derek says.

And for some reason, the delight on Stiles’ face makes him smile, too.

 

*

 

“You should plant some foxglove. Or maybe even some _lupine_ ,” Stiles says with a grin, waggling his eyebrows.

Because somehow, after all this time, he’s still amused by the fact that Derek is a werewolf.

“Funny,” Derek says dryly, but he has to work to hide his smile. Who knew that Stiles would be so knowledgeable about plants?

“And you know, alyssum makes excellent groundcover,” he says, pointing at the bare ground between Derek’s amaryllis stalks.

“It does,” Derek says, nodding. “But I think it smells weird, so I don’t like to use it.”

“I guess that would be a consideration,” Stiles says. Then he abruptly looks around the garden, turning on his heel with wide eyes. “Hey, this whole place must smell _really_ good to you.”

“It does,” Derek says, and he can’t help noticing how nicely Stiles’ scent mixes with that of the flowers.

He’s surprised when Stiles suddenly sits on the ground next to him, and starts helping him clip the dead leaves from the azaleas.

“I think it’s very peaceful here,” Stiles says quietly, like it’s a secret.

“That’s why I’m here so much,” Derek says softly in return. It lets him relax, lets him forget about his worries of not finding a mate.

When he looks over, Stiles is giving him a strange, almost melancholy look, so he shakes himself out of his thoughts. He grabs the spare pair of gloves, holds them out to Stiles. “Want to help me trim the rhododendrons?”

 

*

 

“We’re in a clearing in the woods,” Stiles says from his usual spot on the bench, his legs crossed out in front of him. He looks very comfortable. “So how is everything not being eaten by the deer?”

“The scent of a wolf warns them off,” Derek says, smirking.

“Oh,” Stiles says, eyes wide. “You come out here in your wolf form?”

“Sometimes,” Derek says with a shrug, feeling a little self-conscious. “It feels nice.”

“But you’re never a wolf when I’m here,” Stiles says, sitting up straight now. “And you know I wouldn’t be afraid of you. So how come you’re never shifted around me?” he asks, sounding a little hurt.

Derek hesitates, considering his answer. _The shift is private_ , he thinks, but that’s not really it. He wouldn’t mind if Stiles saw him in his wolf form.

“Since you started coming out here so often,” he says carefully, putting down his spade and meeting Stiles’ eyes. “I’ve stayed human, because I thought you’d like it better if I could actually talk to you.”

Stiles looks more surprised than Derek expects him to. “So you really don’t mind me showing up all the time?”

“No,” Derek says, brows pulling down in confusion. “Of course not. You’re welcome here any time.”

Stiles’ beaming smile makes Derek’s heart race pleasantly, and he shyly ducks his head.

 

*

 

Derek is relaxing on the bench, staring up at the waxing moon, when he hears rustling outside the fence. He lets his eyes flare brightly, using his wolf sight to see into the darkness. “Stiles!” he hisses when he catches sight of his visitor. “It’s two in the morning. What are you doing here?”

Stiles, almost through the gate, pulls up short. “Derek?” he asks cautiously, peering into the dark. “I didn’t know you were going to be here,” he says, sounding apologetic. “I just couldn’t sleep.”

He wavers under the arch, like he’s waiting for permission.

Derek sighs. “Well, come on.”

He can just see Stiles’ relieved smile, and watches as he cautiously make his way through the garden, making sure to stay on the path. He slumps down heavily next to Derek, close enough that their shoulders touch.

“You did say I could come here anytime,” Stiles says as he wiggles down on the bench, clearly trying to get more comfortable.

“Yeah, but when I said that, I wasn’t expecting you to show up in the middle of the night,” Derek huffs, but he’s not really mad.

“Seemed safer than sitting on my roof,” Stiles says, inching even closer.

And well, he’s not wrong. Though the garden seems like it’s in the middle of nowhere, it’s actually not far at all from the Hale House, which is just through the trees on the other side of the clearing. His family works to keep the forest safe, and Derek is proud of that.

“Good decision,” he concedes, tilting his head back up and looking at the stars.

It’s quiet for a long time, as Derek stares up at the sky, softly naming every constellation he knows. He feels Stiles move after a while, and when he looks down, he sees Stiles’ head resting against his shoulder.

He’s asleep.

He looks so peaceful, Derek is loath to wake him, so he carefully curls his arm around Stiles, holding him close. He lets Stiles sleep as he listens to the sounds of owls and nighthawks, and watches the moon slowly set.

Eventually, he realizes that Stiles is probably getting stiff and uncomfortable, trying to sleep out here on a hard wooden bench. Stiles doesn’t want to rouse at first, just nuzzles grumpily against Derek’s neck.

“Come on, Stiles,” he says encouragingly. “Let’s get you home so you can sleep in your nice, warm bed. It’ll be way more comfortable.”

“Mmm, but you’re comfy too,” Stiles mumbles in argument, but he stands obligingly when Derek asks him to.

He keeps his head on Derek’s shoulder, though, leaning sleepily on him the whole way back to his house. Derek has never been so grateful for his werewolf strength, because Stiles dozes off several times, and Derek ends up half-carrying him most of the way.

He feels both relieved and a little disappointed as they make their way up Stiles’ driveway, and finally come to a stop on the front porch. He gets Stiles alert enough to get his keys out of his pocket, and after a little prodding, gets him to unlock the door.

“Go on,” Derek says softly, watching Stiles rub sleepily at his eyes. His side suddenly feels cold when Stiles steps away. “Go get some sleep.”

Stiles nods, pushes open the door to go inside. Then he abruptly seems to change his mind, and turns back, sliding his arms around Derek and holding tight. “Thank you,” he whispers against Derek’s neck, then pulls away. “Good night, Derek.”

“Good night, Stiles,” Derek says, feeling warm all over.

 

*

 

“Hey, Derek,” Stiles says the next afternoon, looking a little nervous. He scuffs his feet along the path, hesitating, but then goes to sit on the bench like usual.

“Hey, Stiles,” Derek says, finishing up the weeding he’s doing. He puts his gardening tools away, and decides it’s time to do something a little different.

He pulls off his gloves and goes to sit next to Stiles, smiling a little.

Stiles looks at him in surprise, says, “Don’t you have a lot of work to do?”

Derek just grins at him, and settles back with a sigh. “It can wait,” he says. “What are you thinking of doing for your senior project?”

Stiles, though he looks uncertain at first, seems more than happy to talk about his ideas. They drift from talking about school to all the other things going on in their lives, and Derek only realizes how long it’s been when he notices the sun setting.

 

*

 

“Oh my god, you really did it!” Stiles says with delight as he walks into the garden.

Derek, dozing under the shade of the orange tree, lifts his head and pricks his ears forward curiously.

“You really did plant lupine!” Stiles says as he crouches down in front of the flowers, admiring them.

Derek huffs, amused, and lays his head back down on his paws. Of course he planted them. They’re lovely.

And if they happen to remind him of a certain visitor to his garden, well, that’s no one’s business but his own.

Stiles strolls over a few moments later, looking amused. “Taking a Sunday afternoon nap, are we?” he asks fondly, grinning down at Derek. “Well, that sounds like a good idea to me,” he adds, flopping down on the grass and stretching out.

He squirms around, moving until his head is pillowed on Derek’s side. “Hey, is this okay?” he asks, leaning up.

Derek gives a careful nod, then softly touches his muzzle to Stiles’ shoulder, taking a deep breath of his scent before settling back down.

“Okay,” Stiles says quietly, running a hand through Derek’s fur before he lays back down, sighing in contentment.

It doesn’t take long before they both doze off.

It’s the best sleep Derek’s gotten in a long time.

 

*

 

When Stiles comes by the next afternoon, Derek is waiting, full of anticipation.

“Hi, Derek,” Stiles calls brightly, pausing for a moment to smell the lilac and jasmine.

“Stiles,” Derek replies, hoping Stiles doesn’t notice how nervous he sounds. He slowly walks toward Stiles, meets him in the middle of the garden.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Stiles asks, eyes flicking curiously over Derek’s face.

“Do you like the garden?” Derek asks, trying to keep calm. He’s never done this before.

“Yeah, of course,” Stiles says, smiling. “I think it’s one of my favorite places ever. It’s so beautiful and peaceful, I always love being here.”

 _Good,_ Derek thinks, taking a deep breath. “It could be yours,” he says carefully, “should you choose to accept—”

“The garden is your mating gift?” Stiles interrupts, eyes wide. “And you’re offering it to _me_?”

Derek can’t help smiling at Stiles’ shocked expression. “I didn’t realize it myself, at first. But after a while, I noticed that I had been taking all of your suggestions for changes. I realized was trying to make the garden into something you might want, and that I really wanted to you to keep coming back. Because I discovered that, no matter how perfect the garden might be, it’s even better when you’re here.”

“Oh,” Stiles says softly, staring at Derek in wonder. “I’d hoped, but I never imagined that you would actually pick me.” He straightens, clears his throat. “Derek Hale, I accept your mating gift.”

Derek suddenly feels so light and happy, so free, that he almost forgets the next step. “You are my mate,” he says in answer, stepping closer. His heart races when Stiles tilts his head, smiling. He leans in and softly kisses Stiles’ neck before rubbing his cheek there, scenting him.

“And you are mine,” Stiles says quietly, then pulls Derek into a real kiss, his lips soft and sweet against Derek’s own.

He pulls away beaming, and Derek just hugs him tight, feeling overwhelmed. Stiles squeezes him back just as hard, burying his face against Derek’s neck, and it sends a wave of contentment through him.

Derek takes a deep breath, surrounded by the smell of flowers and Stiles’ own sweet scent, and knows that everything is right.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come by and prompt me/talk to me [ on tumblr](http://dragon-temeraire.tumblr.com/).


End file.
